Olivia Wearne’s The Grand Tour is Warm, Funny, and Sharply Observed

This vivid story of campervans, stowaways and mischief at any age is essentially about families: the ones you have and the ones you make.

When Ruby and Angela embark on a Grey Nomads road trip, the last thing they expect is a tiny stowaway; one who will turn them from unsuspecting tourists into wanted kidnappers and land them in a world of trouble. As their leisurely retirement plans unravel, Angela’s relationship with her brother Bernard goes from bad to worse.

Bernard has his own problems to contend with. Adrift in life, his career as a news presenter has been reduced to opening fetes and reading Voss as an audio book (a seemingly impossible task). His troubles are compounded when his wife starts dating a younger man and a drink-driving incident turns him into a celebrity offender.

As Angela and Ruby set about repairing burnt bridges and helping their unexpected guest, and Bernard attempts to patch together his broken life, they discover that even after a lifetime of experience, you’re never too old to know better.

This wonderfully witty novel had me right from the opening pages, when Ruby and Angela are shopping for their campervan. These two friends, retirees now, are clearly very different, but ready for some adventures in life. But things don’t quite go to plan, which makes for delightful reading. Both these characters are compelling, with a lot of depth under their quirks. Bernard is also a cracker: anyone who has ever lived in a regional area knows a Bernard, who is a bit of a local celebrity. In fact, The Grand Tour is filled with interesting characters.

This is Olivia Wearne’s debut novel. She has a background in screenwriting, and this experience shows in not only how cinematic this story is, but how tight the dialogue is. Her prose is incredibly polished, with nothing extraneous slowing the story down, while great dialogue drives it forward. There are many layers to this book, and despite the many laughs, there’s also a lot of depth. It’s enjoyable getting to know these grey nomads, although any backstory is delivered smoothly, never slowing down the plot.

The Grand Tour is a warm, funny, sharply observed story about aging disgracefully and loving the one you’re with. There were many laugh out loud moments, and a few hours of pure escapism. A great read for the holidays.